I had just finished reading the book titled The Complete Guide to Solving Home Plumbing Problems by Gary Branson. The book was great and very helpful, I really liked chapter 8 where the book gives you guidance on "Installing Appliances", below if an excerpt from the book:
"If you hear a rumbling noise when the burner of your water heater burner fires up, or see water-perhaps rusty water-beneath the unit, it's time to replace the heater.
The instructions that follow refer to installing a water heater that is fired by natural gas and vents upward through a vertical vent, not through a wall. Some new water heaters have a forced draft feature for better fuel efficiency. The process for installing this type of heater is basically the same as for a vertical vent heater, except that the vent pipes are plastic and can be vented through a wall. The installation instructions provided here are general, but if they vary from the instructions that come with your water heater, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Also, remember that water heater installation problems are about leaks in either the gas or water pipes. Always use teflon plumber's tape on the threads of all water pipe fittings. Use pipe joint compound on the threads of gas pipe fittings.
To install a gas water heater with copper water pipes, you will need an adjustable wrench, a pipe wrench, adjustable or engineer's pliers, a tubing cutter or hacksaw, a soldering torch, flux and solder, and a Phillips head screwdriver. Buy a water heater installation kit containing 12-inch (30.48cm) flexible connectors, a roll of Teflon plumbers tape and a few pipe fittings, such as pipe nipples, which you may need for installing the connectors to the water heater.
Note that you can also use chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) pipes and fittings to install the water heater. Using plastic pipe and fittings will eliminate the need to use an open flame for soldering. The plastic pipe can be joined directly to the cutoff copper water pipes.
The water pipes to your water heater are 3/4 inch in diameter (19.05 mm). To avoid having to make several trips for various pipe fittings, plan what you will need before taking the piping apart. Draw a diagram of the installation you will make, along with measurements for pipe length. Take the diagram along to the hardware store so a salesperson can help you select the fittings you will require.
If you have an electric water heater as opposed to a natural gas one, get a professional to install it. Because you will be working with both 240-volt electrical power and water-which can be a lethal combination-installing an electrical water heater is beyond the skills of the average homeowner."
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